Thursday, July 26, 2007
2 Peter 1 Preserved From Corruption
This epistle is written to help us be able to deal with false teachers, apostates and their heresies.
These false teachers have been around since the very beginning, as it were, attempting to damn souls to hell by beguiling them, by deceiving them with lies masquerading as spiritual divine saving truth. That is always the ploy of false teachers. They are the emissaries of Satan. They are liars who are basically motivated, moved by love of money, love of power, prestige, prominence and so forth but truly they are the pawns of spiritual entities, namely demons, who lead them to propagate Satanic lies to deceive souls who will then perish in hell and populate Satan's eternal domain.
Peter is an instrument of God to write this epistle as a warning letter. And it has as its purpose endeavoring to help us to be able to square up against this kind of deception which is so very prevalent. The letter is for the purpose of exposing, thwarting and defeating the invasion of false teachers in to the church. It suited that purpose when he wrote it, it still suits that purpose today. By the way, it is very similar to the epistle of Jude. In fact, a great portion of it is almost repetitive. Jude, too, then is another of those spiritual consumer protection advocates whose purpose is to make sure people don't fall victim to lies and damning heresies. Now Peter pulls no punches. It is a clear precise direct presentation.
Remember is a key word.
2 Peter 1:12, "Therefore I shall always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you, and I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, so also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me." I'm not going to live very long and if there's one thing I want to do, it's make sure you remember these things. So I will remind you and remind you and remind you so that when I'm gone you'll have them in mind...these matters regarding false teachers and their deceiving lies.
Notice 2 Peter 3:1, This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
The first letter was 1 Peter and this is 2 Peter. In church history there had been a dispute as to whether this letter should have been included in the canon of Holy Scripture, Eusebius in the 4th century listed it as a disputed book, Jerome included it in his Latin Vulgate edition, but by 366 A.D. at the Council of Laodicea it had passed scrutiny and was everywhere affirmed.
Since it was written by Peter, its date of authorship was around 67 AD.
Probably 2 Peter is written from Rome as was 1 Peter and no more than a year later after 1 Peter. Nero died in 68 A.D. Peter died under Nero's persecution, tradition tells us. Peter probably died before Paul...since Paul wrote his final letter from Rome and Peter certainly wasn't there then. So he must have died already. First Peter around 64, Peter must have died before 68, 67 or so, or 66. And so this was likely penned in around 65, one year after 1 Peter. So it was a prison epistle. He was a prisoner. He was facing death. As I read earlier, chapter 1 verse 14, he says I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent. Tradition tells us he was crucified and he refused to be crucified like his Lord and he asked to be crucified upside down.
Peter will say there are a few things you need to know if you are going to keep your stability in an age of apostasy.
Chapter 1 :You must know the condition of your salvation, your relationship to God. You must know the Scripture. You Must know your Satanic adversary (chapter 2) Chapter 3 You Must Know The Second Coming Of Christ.
"knowledge" then is very prominent in these three chapters. In one form or another it appears 16 times...16 times. Six of those times is the intensive form epignosko, or epignosis. Gnosko, a common Greek word "to know," is made more intense with the addition of epi, epignosko and typically we've said to you through the years where you have a preposition added as a prefix to a verb it intensifies the meaning of the verb. So it is what we know that protects us.
Confidence in our salvation, its resources, the true knowledge of God through Jesus Christ with assurance is the first line of defense. This, beloved, is the helmet of salvation. When Satan comes at you wielding the sword of his false doctrine, wielding the sword that wants to strike a death blow against you, what insulates you and protects you from the fatality of that blow is the helmet of salvation, the protection or the defense of knowing you are saved, knowing you belong to God. Your defense begins with a clear confident comprehension of salvation relationship to God.
He wants them confident in their salvation. He wants them confident in the Scripture, the revelation of God. He wants them confident in the Second Coming so that they will live holy lives
And with that in view, Peter spends the opening section on the issue of salvation. We're going to look at it in verses 1 through 11. Here he wants to remove any doubt. He wants to remove any confusion from the believer who may be doubting or may be confused about his salvation.
"Simon Peter, a bondservant, and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours...or like precious faith...by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Simon is the Greek term, Simeon is the Hebrew. And in the ancient manuscripts that we have of 2 Peter, some have Simon and some have Simeon. It was a very common name. It was a name after Simeon who is the head of one of the tribes of Israel. Simeon or Simon, same name. For example, in the New Testament, nine people other than Peter are called Simon. So the second name is essential. . Simon was his name before he met Christ and Peter was his name after he met Christ. This combination, Simon Peter, occurs many times in the New Testament in referring to this man. In the early church among the Gentiles who spoke Greek he was commonly called Simon Peter.
The Corruption in our world is toxic
How can you cope in a toxic world?
You are not left on your own!
Remember the Power2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
“I’ve got the power” said a girl on the Phillipousis show.. yuck!!
You do have the power in you.
It called you
It Converted you
Remember The PromisesAccording as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
You have promises that work!
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Remember The Participation
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The Holy Spirit dwells within you.
A young man, Danny Simpson took an old gun and robbed a bank of $6000. He was caught and the old gun recovered was found to be a colt .45 manufactured in 1918, and worth $100,000 at a collector’s auction. He didn’t know what he already had.
So often we are not aware of what we already have, a relationship where the Holy Spirit of God dwells in our hearts.
Remember The Preservation
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
You live in a toxic spiritual environment but you shall be preserved.
Gold at the bottom of the sea. Salt water corrodes everything, except gold.
Pirate movies have to have fake tarnished gold, otherwise no one would believe that the gold had been at the bottom of the sea for years. But real gold doesn’t tarnish.
You will be preserved.
That is God’s intention for you.
Trust Him to do that.
Eternity
"Where wilt thou spend eternity?-
Nay, don’t tear down the bill;
The question means but good to thee,
And will be answered still;
To Shun the light or shut the sight,
Thy cup of wrath may fill,
Where wilt thou spend eternity?-
Don’t say, “I cannot tell”;
The life thou leadest now will end
In heaven – or else in hell,
Oh friend, bethink thee well.”
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
These false teachers have been around since the very beginning, as it were, attempting to damn souls to hell by beguiling them, by deceiving them with lies masquerading as spiritual divine saving truth. That is always the ploy of false teachers. They are the emissaries of Satan. They are liars who are basically motivated, moved by love of money, love of power, prestige, prominence and so forth but truly they are the pawns of spiritual entities, namely demons, who lead them to propagate Satanic lies to deceive souls who will then perish in hell and populate Satan's eternal domain.
Peter is an instrument of God to write this epistle as a warning letter. And it has as its purpose endeavoring to help us to be able to square up against this kind of deception which is so very prevalent. The letter is for the purpose of exposing, thwarting and defeating the invasion of false teachers in to the church. It suited that purpose when he wrote it, it still suits that purpose today. By the way, it is very similar to the epistle of Jude. In fact, a great portion of it is almost repetitive. Jude, too, then is another of those spiritual consumer protection advocates whose purpose is to make sure people don't fall victim to lies and damning heresies. Now Peter pulls no punches. It is a clear precise direct presentation.
Remember is a key word.
2 Peter 1:12, "Therefore I shall always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you, and I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, so also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me." I'm not going to live very long and if there's one thing I want to do, it's make sure you remember these things. So I will remind you and remind you and remind you so that when I'm gone you'll have them in mind...these matters regarding false teachers and their deceiving lies.
Notice 2 Peter 3:1, This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
The first letter was 1 Peter and this is 2 Peter. In church history there had been a dispute as to whether this letter should have been included in the canon of Holy Scripture, Eusebius in the 4th century listed it as a disputed book, Jerome included it in his Latin Vulgate edition, but by 366 A.D. at the Council of Laodicea it had passed scrutiny and was everywhere affirmed.
Since it was written by Peter, its date of authorship was around 67 AD.
Probably 2 Peter is written from Rome as was 1 Peter and no more than a year later after 1 Peter. Nero died in 68 A.D. Peter died under Nero's persecution, tradition tells us. Peter probably died before Paul...since Paul wrote his final letter from Rome and Peter certainly wasn't there then. So he must have died already. First Peter around 64, Peter must have died before 68, 67 or so, or 66. And so this was likely penned in around 65, one year after 1 Peter. So it was a prison epistle. He was a prisoner. He was facing death. As I read earlier, chapter 1 verse 14, he says I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent. Tradition tells us he was crucified and he refused to be crucified like his Lord and he asked to be crucified upside down.
Peter will say there are a few things you need to know if you are going to keep your stability in an age of apostasy.
Chapter 1 :You must know the condition of your salvation, your relationship to God. You must know the Scripture. You Must know your Satanic adversary (chapter 2) Chapter 3 You Must Know The Second Coming Of Christ.
"knowledge" then is very prominent in these three chapters. In one form or another it appears 16 times...16 times. Six of those times is the intensive form epignosko, or epignosis. Gnosko, a common Greek word "to know," is made more intense with the addition of epi, epignosko and typically we've said to you through the years where you have a preposition added as a prefix to a verb it intensifies the meaning of the verb. So it is what we know that protects us.
Confidence in our salvation, its resources, the true knowledge of God through Jesus Christ with assurance is the first line of defense. This, beloved, is the helmet of salvation. When Satan comes at you wielding the sword of his false doctrine, wielding the sword that wants to strike a death blow against you, what insulates you and protects you from the fatality of that blow is the helmet of salvation, the protection or the defense of knowing you are saved, knowing you belong to God. Your defense begins with a clear confident comprehension of salvation relationship to God.
He wants them confident in their salvation. He wants them confident in the Scripture, the revelation of God. He wants them confident in the Second Coming so that they will live holy lives
And with that in view, Peter spends the opening section on the issue of salvation. We're going to look at it in verses 1 through 11. Here he wants to remove any doubt. He wants to remove any confusion from the believer who may be doubting or may be confused about his salvation.
"Simon Peter, a bondservant, and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours...or like precious faith...by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Simon is the Greek term, Simeon is the Hebrew. And in the ancient manuscripts that we have of 2 Peter, some have Simon and some have Simeon. It was a very common name. It was a name after Simeon who is the head of one of the tribes of Israel. Simeon or Simon, same name. For example, in the New Testament, nine people other than Peter are called Simon. So the second name is essential. . Simon was his name before he met Christ and Peter was his name after he met Christ. This combination, Simon Peter, occurs many times in the New Testament in referring to this man. In the early church among the Gentiles who spoke Greek he was commonly called Simon Peter.
The Corruption in our world is toxic
How can you cope in a toxic world?
You are not left on your own!
Remember the Power2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
“I’ve got the power” said a girl on the Phillipousis show.. yuck!!
You do have the power in you.
It called you
It Converted you
Remember The PromisesAccording as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
You have promises that work!
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Remember The Participation
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The Holy Spirit dwells within you.
A young man, Danny Simpson took an old gun and robbed a bank of $6000. He was caught and the old gun recovered was found to be a colt .45 manufactured in 1918, and worth $100,000 at a collector’s auction. He didn’t know what he already had.
So often we are not aware of what we already have, a relationship where the Holy Spirit of God dwells in our hearts.
Remember The Preservation
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
You live in a toxic spiritual environment but you shall be preserved.
Gold at the bottom of the sea. Salt water corrodes everything, except gold.
Pirate movies have to have fake tarnished gold, otherwise no one would believe that the gold had been at the bottom of the sea for years. But real gold doesn’t tarnish.
You will be preserved.
That is God’s intention for you.
Trust Him to do that.
Eternity
"Where wilt thou spend eternity?-
Nay, don’t tear down the bill;
The question means but good to thee,
And will be answered still;
To Shun the light or shut the sight,
Thy cup of wrath may fill,
Where wilt thou spend eternity?-
Don’t say, “I cannot tell”;
The life thou leadest now will end
In heaven – or else in hell,
Oh friend, bethink thee well.”
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
# posted by Groseys messages @ 10:36 PM 
